counterfeit

American  

[koun-ter-fit] / ˈkaʊn tərˌfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation so as to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; not genuine; forged.

   counterfeit dollar bills.

   Synonyms:

   bogus , spurious

2. pretended; unreal.

   counterfeit grief.

   Synonyms:

   ersatz , fake , mock , make-believe , pretend , feigned , sham

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noun

1. an imitation intended to be passed off fraudulently or deceptively as genuine; forgery.

   Synonyms:

   sham , falsification

2. Archaic.  a copy.

3. Archaic.  a close likeness; portrait.

4. Obsolete.  impostor; pretender.

verb (used with object)

1. to make a counterfeit of; imitate fraudulently; forge.

   Synonyms:

   falsify , copy

2. to resemble.

3. to simulate.

verb (used without object)

1. to make counterfeits, as of money.

2. to feign; dissemble.

counterfeit British  

/ ˈkaʊntəfɪt /

adjective

1. made in imitation of something genuine with the intent to deceive or defraud; forged

2. simulated; sham

   counterfeit affection

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noun

1. an imitation designed to deceive or defraud

2. archaic  an impostor; cheat

verb

1. (tr) to make a fraudulent imitation of

2. (intr) to make counterfeits

3. to feign; simulate

4. (tr) to imitate; copy

Related Words

See false.

Other Word Forms

• counterfeiter noun
• counterfeitly adverb
• counterfeitness noun
• noncounterfeit adjective
• uncounterfeited adjective

Etymology

Origin of counterfeit

First recorded in 1250–1300; (adjective) Middle English countrefet “false, forged,” from Anglo-French cuntrefet, Old French contrefait, contrefet, past participle of contrefaire, contrefere “to copy, imitate,” equivalent to conter- counter- + fere “to make, do,” ultimately from Latin facere ( fact ); (verb) Middle English countrefeten, verbal derivative of countrefet

Example Sentences

The BBC found several websites on which counterfeit shirts of every Premier League club were being sold for as little as £12.

From BBC

Medical experts told the BBC that such shortcuts by qualified professionals stripped away basic safeguards and pushed potentially counterfeit products into the beauty trade.

From BBC

The Home Office has promised to investigate after a BBC investigation uncovered more than 100 businesses linked to a Kurdish gang enabling migrants to work illegally selling counterfeit cigarettes in High Street mini-marts.

From BBC

All but one of the shops sold counterfeit or smuggled cigarettes for about £4 per pack, instead of the average UK price of £16 for a pack of 20.

From BBC

"We know of businesses here in Wales who are being suffocated by a flood of counterfeit versions of their products online."

From BBC

Related Words

• bogus
• copied
• false
• fictitious
• forged
• fraudulent
• phony
• spurious